Triangle
by Katana Rey
Summary: 2x1/4x1 triangle. Politically, Heero and Quatre are on opposite sides to Duo, mix in their past relationship problems and you get the 'molotov cocktail' equivalent in emotional turmoil. Dark themes. SF background.
1. Default Chapter

Kat: Originally titled 'Minuet', I changed the title to 'Triangle' for obvious reasons. I've also edited the story considerably, deleting all unnecessary parts, to make the plot flow more smoothly. Be warned Duo-fans, the character in 'Triangle' is NOT a 'nice' person. At this stage, he is very bitter from losing Heero. However he does change, (as does Heero and Quatre) in the 'Minuet' arc (incomplete and will be forthcoming soon, with a new part).   
  
AC 203  
  
Part I.  
  
He looked beautiful. But then, Duo thought fondly, he was always beautiful. He looked at the still, slender figure standing in front of him and stretched out his hand to cradle the exquisite face.   
  
'....'  
  
Duo sighed as Heero flinched away from his touch. A rueful grin twitched his lips as he dropped the outstretched hand to his side and turned to the watchful blond standing by Heero's side.  
  
'Hello Quatre.' He smiled warmly, a smile that slowly died as it was met by two cold gazes. 'I guess that you don't really feel like talking to me right now. Eh?'  
  
Quatre's eyes glittered like green ice as he took a step forward, placing himself as an obstacle between Heero and Duo.  
  
'You don't really think that either of us has anything to say to you. Do you?'   
  
Duo sighed again, then looked up with a cool, insouciant grin, as he suddenly slammed Quatre to the ground with a right hook. Heero jerked briefly then stilled as he heard the metallic clicks on the guns, now aimed directly at him. He glowered at Duo with fury as the latter stepped over Quatre's body, deliberately forcing him to look up to maintain eye contact.   
  
Duo reached out again, unable to stop himself, and gently traced the delicate outline of Heero's face.   
  
'So beautiful.' He murmured softly to himself, firming his grip on the fragile neck, as Heero stiffened at his words and started to move backwards. 'I know that you won't talk Heero. Whatever I do.' Duo crooned softly into Heero's ear as he leaned forward to brush his cheek against that cold perfection. He tightened his grip on the neck, causing Heero to grunt softly in involuntary protest.   
  
'But, Quatre.' Duo smiled as he forced Heero's face upwards till they were eye to eye. Duo's lips were almost on Heero's own as he continued to speak. 'He's different. I don't think that he'll be able to bear seeing you hurt. Do you?' He asked mockingly, as he released his angry captive with a gently shove and gestured to the nearby soldiers to grab hold of the thin youth.   
  
Heero held still as the soldiers put their hands on him, roughly forcing him to his knees as they pulled his arms toward his back, but his simmering eyes promised a volcanic return for his current indignities.   
  
'Now then, Quatre. Let's try this again shall we?' Duo turned the prone figure over with his foot, and waited patiently until Quatre moved slowly back on his feet, rubbing at his sore jaw. He looked at Duo with something akin to hatred as he struggled against the rough hands that clamped around his arms.   
  
'Where are the plans for Wing Zero, Quatre?' Duo asked sweetly. 'You remember, the plans that you used to build the Wing Zero? Where have you hidden them?'  
  
Quatre felt fear burning in his guts as he stared at the deceptively charming smile on Duo's face. 'I.. I don't know.' He said at last, truthfully. Duo's eyes narrowed as his telepath nodded once, indicating that Quatre was telling the truth. He stared silently at the defiant blond, as he slowly debated his options, then reaching a decision he turned and grabbing the gun from the nearest guard he pointed it at Heero, who looked back at him with calm poise, and fired.   
  
Quatre had jerked forward at the blast, only to stop as he realised that at the last minute, Duo had slightly altered his aim, so that the blast missed Heero, who stayed absolutely still. 'What do you think you are doing?' Quatre screamed, in his relief and rage.  
  
Duo turned back and grinned. 'I could ask you the same question you know. What do you think you are doing? You do realise that the only reason Heero is alive is you. We don't need him. But we can use him. We can use him as leverage against you. And you, we can continue to use, even after you tell us where the plans are. We can use you to help us build it. You did it before. And as long as you are useful, we'll keep Heero alive. So you see, if I truly believe that you can't help us, then Heero's going to have to die. So, what do you say now Quatre? The plans for Wing Zero?'  
  
Quatre bit his lips as he stared at Duo's face blankly. He hesitated as he glanced back at the silent figure held captive and knew that Heero wasn't going to forgive him for co operating with their enemy but Quatre knew that neither could he simply stand by and watch as Heero was killed. 'I don't know where the plans are hidden. Wait!' He called out desperately as Duo once again took aim. 'You don't understand. I don't know where they are hidden because I didn't hide them. I.. I sent them.' Quatre licked his dry lips as he turned away from the sudden accusing blaze in Heero's eyes. 'I sent them to Trowa. But he doesn't have it yet either.'  
  
Duo's eyes narrowed coldly as he considered Quatre's answer. 'I see, so technically no one has the plans, is that it?' He turned to his telepath and slapped him, hard. 'That makes you no more reliable than a silly polygraph. I can't believe you didn't see through that little subterfuge. Huh. Word games. And you,' Duo grasped Quatre's collar and pulled him forward, 'any more word games and I start playing with Heero. Understood?' He glared as Quatre snarled a surly assent. 'Good. Now then, you can start by telling me how we are going to retrieve the plans for Wing Zero. As for Heero, I'm going to see if the psyche department could do with a new guinea pig. Oh don't worry.' Duo smiled as Quatre started to protest, 'I only intend to make sure that Heero's not going to cause us any additional problems. I just don't need an explosives expert and a hacker running loose in my facility. I think I'd prefer him to specialise in... oh, gardening? Oh yes, and make him an artist as well, that'd be nice, don't you think?'  
  
Quatre continued to look apprehensive as a quiet Heero was led away by wary guards. 'Is that what happened to you?' He asked bitterly, as his eyes followed out the beloved form, lingering on the afterimage, even when the steel doors had closed firmly. 'Did someone order up a special blend of talents to use in torturing and killing people?'  
  
'Don't get so melodramatic Quatre,' Duo responded dryly as he gestured for Quatre to sit down at the small table where he'd been waiting for their arrival. 'I'm in this for job satisfaction you know. I mean, just think about how useful your Wing Zero is going to be. And it's not like we want the entire robot after all. We are only interested in the Zero system. And now, we've wasted enough time on pleasantries, let's get down to work. I want to know how I, excuse me, how we can retrieve the plans. Well?'  
  
*****  
  
'How did it go?'   
  
'Mmmm.... Don't stop. That's it. That's the stop. Mmmmmm.....' Duo leaned back and smiled in contentment.  
  
'Hey! Don't go to sleep now. I was asking what happened?'  
  
'Ouch! Don't pull on the braid.'   
  
'C'mon. Tell me. Did you get it? I even gave you a massage. Tell me, or...'  
  
'Or?'  
  
'Or, I can always go and look at the vid record of your interrogation.'  
  
'Hey, no fair. That's cheating.'  
  
'I know.'   
  
'You know something, Wufei? You are no fun.'  
  
Wufei laughed smugly. 'I know.' He settled himself casually into the chair and leant back, entwining his fingers behind his neck. 'I also know that you got the plans to Wing Zero. And that you managed to get Heero. Finally.' He teased, with a sly glance at the picture of the taciturn pilot on Duo's desk.  
  
Duo sniffed, 'if you know so much, then why do you need to ask?'  
  
'Because,' Wufei shrugged. 'I want to hear all the details. You've been looking for an opportunity to get back at Quatre, ever since he managed to steal your Heero. I can't believe you managed to dig out that old reference to the Zero system and its possibilities in enhancing psi abilities, not to mention sell it as a project to the Foundation's board of directors, just so that you could get an excuse to go after those two.'  
  
'Well, what can I say?' Duo laughed. 'I don't like to lose.' His eyes hardened as he reached out to caress the lovely face in the crystal frame. 'And I honestly think that my project has a better chance of succeeding than yours anyway.' He sniggered. 'I can't believe that you got picked to head up a project working with plants. Heh.'  
  
Wufei grimaced, 'it's actually not as wild as it sounds. I couldn't believe it either but Project Delta does have intriguing possibilities. What really worries me is not so much whether it would work, as whether we want it to work. I don't have a problem with using developing living computers, but I'm not too keen on those hybrids that the boys in the lab are trying to develop. You know, the ones that are crossed with plant genes?'  
  
'Hmm....' Duo shrugged carelessly. 'I don't really care actually. Project Gamma is the one that worries me. Did you read their most recent proposal?'  
  
Wufei snorted, 'you mean the one where they want to release nanites designed to modify neural pathways so that everyone becomes an instant telepath. Yeah. I couldn't believe the idiots who came up with that idea. Can you imagine the chaos that would create? Thank goodness, the directors rejected that looney idea immediately.'  
  
'No. Not that idiocy, I'm actually talking about their contingency plan. Didn't you read the conundrum? Wufei! I'm shocked.' Duo grinned, as Wufei looked slightly embarrassed. 'Don't tell me you don't read these proposals thoroughly.'  
  
'Oh come on. They're boring. And there's a new one every week. Not to mention that I have to keep working on coming up with updates every month. It's hard enough just keeping tracking of the wretched reports from my own project, without worrying about anyone else's.' Wufei groaned.  
  
'I don't know.' Duo mused thoughtfully, as he drummed his fingers idly on his immaculate desk. 'I think that you should try to keep up with what's happening in the other projects actually. And you really should have read that final attachment more carefully, that's why Project Gamma received additional funding, even after their proposal got trashed at the last meeting. The project leader at Gamma projected that the best method of dealing with the chaos generated with everyone becoming a nanite modified telepath was to provide an additional alteration, one where a selected group of people receive further alteration to become a 'hive queen' as it were. Instant society. Not a bad concept in a way. Except, that's not what the Foundation was interested in. So, no to the proposal to create instant telepaths but yes to continuation of project and experimentation of creating a group mind and, most importantly for our directors, a new type of oligarchy.'  
  
'Yeah, yeah, you're real enlightened. Okay? And now that you've stalled enough, will you just tell me what happened with Quatre?' Wufei yawned and stretched lazily, as he resettled in his chair.   
  
Duo grinned, in truly insufferable smugness as he also leaned back. 'All right. What do you want to know?'  
  
'Everything! Come on, Maxwell. Cough it up.'  
  
'There's not that much to tell really.' Duo teased lightly, laughing as Wufei glowered in mock fury, 'apparently Winner decided that the safest way to hold on the plans is to make sure that no one had it. So,' he shrugged. 'The answer was obvious.'   
  
'You really want to die, don't you Shinigami?' Wufei growled.  
  
'He put the plans into a special deposit in Switzerland, and organized for the account to be released to Barton. In another 47 years.' Duo added lightly, as his eyes once again strayed fondly to the picture of Heero.   
  
'47 years!' Wufei spluttered. 'That's ridiculous.'  
  
'Yeah, I know. So, he obviously had a contingency plan, so that he could access the plans if necessary during that time.'   
  
'Obviously.' Wufei agreed. Then as Duo sat silent with a mischievous grin, Wufei scowled. 'And...' He prompted.  
  
'And...' Duo drawled out, amused by the irritation on Wufei's face. 'I need three people's permission in order to access that account before the time limit.'  
  
'Maxwell..'   
  
'The three people are; Trowa Barton, Quatre Rebarba Winner and...' Duo paused dramatically, with a teasing grin. 'Millard Peacecraft.'  
  
'What!' Wufei spat. 'You can't be serious. You know we can't get Millard's permission. Not since the colonies declared their independence and blockaded Earth. We're stuck here and unfortunately, he is out of our reach, literally and figuratively. That bastard. Winner did this deliberately!'  
  
'Don't get so upset Wufei. I already have all their permission. And in fact, even as we speak, I'm waiting for the plans to be delivered to me by my agent. They've already been collected from the account.' Duo spoke coolly, twirling his pen between his fingers, as was his habit.   
  
'What... how...' Wufei sat back, stunned.  
  
'I wish that the directors were nearly as easy to impress as you, Chang.' Duo looked amused. 'I just rang and asked Relena. Oh, yeah, that director. Remember, she's also a Peacecraft. We just explained that Millard was.... um... unavailable and that she had his power of attorney. And that was that.'   
  
'Impressive.' Wufei admitted. 'But what about Trowa? How'd you get him to agree to all this?'  
  
'Gee Wufei, you've just got to love all this family bonding, right? Can you imagine, all it took was a request to have Catherine volunteer for one of our project as an experimental subject. Trowa was very co operative actually.'  
  
'So, you've got Heero. You've got the plans. What about Winner? What are you going to do with Quatre?' Wufei asked in amused admiration. 'You know he's trouble and he has connections. Once his family realises that he's in your custody, they'll move heaven and earth to get him back.'  
  
Duo tapped his desk idly, as he spoke, his eyes intent on his friend's face. 'So, who's to know where he is?' He murmured softly, absently stroking the oval crystal frame as he continued. 'For all anyone knows, for all I know, he just... disappeared. With his lover. That's so romantic don't you think?'  
  
Wufei shuddered inwardly as he looked at the serious eyes and the oddly contrasting, sensual smile underneath. 'I think I've just lost all my curiosity regarding Quatre's whereabouts.'  
  
'That's an interesting coincidence. So have I.' Duo smirked.  
  
*****  
  
Heero sat and brooded in his small cell. He hugged his knees to his chest as he crouched in the corner of the empty, brightly lit room. He knew that Quatre was making a terrible mistake by co operating with Duo. He should have just killed that bastard when he had the chance. Heero tightened his grip as he tried to erase the memories that just kept flooding back.  
  
I love you.  
  
A smiling face.   
  
The sun glittered on the long chestnut hair, as a heart shaped face looked up at him from his lap and smiled.   
  
Heero shivered involuntarily as he remembered the warmth in that smile. Holding promise of happiness and protection. His eyes welled with unshed tears as his body burned from the suppressed rage. A lie.   
  
You are mine.  
  
The face, transformed by a cruel and twisted smile.  
  
A heavy weight pressing down him, cold fingers digging painfully into his flesh as he lay, trapped in the darkness.  
  
A shuddering sob shook his thin body as Heero gasped from the surging remembered pain, anger and fury. His eyes burned with impotent rage. And Heero tried, again, futilely, to forget the past and to focus on the present. To try to think about his options, to escape and to rescue Quatre but even as he strove, yet another image from the past came and blotted out this present.   
  
A gun.  
  
And a smiling face looking at him, with love and confidence.   
  
'You can't shoot me, Heero. I love you. I promise I'll be back for you.'  
  
And a shape running away from his blurring vision. Then as the nearest building exploded, spitting crimson flames and black debris, he found himself thrown violently to the ground, the gun skittering from his loosened grip. A wall of silence ascended and blanketed him as he lay stunned. Trying to understand, that it was his friend, his lover, who had been responsible for this new death and destruction.  
  
Heero sobbed again, as the bitterness flooded him. The memories overwhelmed him, he closed his eyes tightly and tried to will away the intruding images as they burned again and again into his aching mind.   
  
'I have a new job Heero.'   
  
'I want you to tell me all about your job at Nexus. I want to you to tell me everything.'  
  
'Let me see your identicard. Why is it that these photos always turn out terrible? Still I don't think you could take a bad picture if you tried.'  
  
'You've met Quatre, again? How many times does this make in a week? Don't tell me that you are meeting him as a representative of Nexus. He's just trying to get close to you.'  
  
'I want you to quit your job at Nexus, Heero. We don't really need a second income, not with my new promotion.'  
  
'I warned you to quit Nexus Heero. This is all your fault. I didn't know that they were hosting a school excursion on your day off. You know that I couldn't risk getting you hurt.'  
  
'So now you want to know who I'm working for. Why didn't you ask me earlier? You are just asking me because Quatre asked you to find out. I know that Quatre's been lying to you Heero. The Foundation isn't what he's claiming it is. For heaven's sake, Relena Peacecraft is on the board of executive directors, do you really think that she'd be involved if we were thinking about world domination? That's ludicrous. I want you to come back to our apartment, Heero. It's lonely without you.'  
  
'I can't believe you keep buying into all these lies that Quatre's telling you. How can you blame the Foundation for the Colonies' actions? You don't really care about them anyway do you? They're just a convenient disposal place for human waste. We are just trying to save Earth. Heero. Don't you dare walk away from me! Heero!'  
  
'I told you not to stay with Quatre, Heero. He's going to get you killed. Here, look after this wound or you might get a nasty infection. I'd take you with me now but unfortunately, I can't carry you and this. Don't worry, I'll come back for you. I promise.'  
  
Heero shuddered and gasped for breath, trying to calm himself. He gritted his teeth and tried to focus on a plan of action. To escape, to rescue Quatre, to... Heero blinked in shock as the door opened suddenly and a limp figure was thrown in.   
  
*****  
  
Quatre looked at Wufei with undisguised scorn and distaste, and pushed the lap top away.  
  
'You can't seriously believe that I'll co operate with your little attempt to break apart the Winner Tech Incorporated. I'm afraid that you'll have to do this the hard way.'   
  
Wufei shrugged carelessly. 'Well, it was worth a try, anyway. Maxwell did mention that you were feeling rather bad tempered right now. I just thought that you might benefit from being in my care rather than his. You know he doesn't like you very much. Beside which, I really could have used the R & D component of Winner Tech. We're apparently looking into a similar area.'   
  
Quatre glared back silently.   
  
Wufei waited for a moment longer than shrugged. He stood up and moved towards a blank wall. Then he said, 'Okay, Maxwell, you win. You were right. He's not going to make this easy. So, now it's your turn, hotshot. Lets see how persuasive you are.'  
  
The wall split in half and opened slowly, revealing a laboratory inside. From his cell, Quatre could look inside and see a large room, filled with glowing, green tubes, and other equipment. An eerie sight, made worse by the biohazard suits worn by the few figures walking around the tubes, monitoring and adjusting equipment continuously.   
  
After a while, Quatre could no longer bear the silence and reluctantly, he turned to Wufei, who had walked to join him in viewing the grotesque sight. 'What is this? What are you showing me and why?'  
  
*****  
  
Heero waited patiently until his fellow prisoner regained consciousness.   
  
Sally groaned as she tried to sit up and a blinding burst of pain in her head told her that it was a mistake to try to move. She moaned softly as she felt a cool hand smoothing back the strands from her forehead. She coughed painfully, wishing that she could just slip back into blissful unconsciousness.   
  
'Sally.'  
  
She stirred, she recognised that husky voice. Sally moaned in protest as she felt herself being manoeuvred gently into a sitting position.   
  
'Sally, can you hear me?'  
  
She croaked hoarsely as she tried to answer.   
  
'He... Heero. What... why are you.... here?'   
  
Sally tried to open her swollen eyes.   
  
*****  
  
'Why don't I answer your questions, Quatre?'  
  
Quatre found himself stiffening automatically as he felt another presence behind him. Duo walked over to the newly revealed window and smiled coldly as he looked into the greenly lit room.  
  
'You've got to admit, Wufei, that the green light really looks cool.' Duo mused idly. 'I wonder if it's actually necessary or if those scientists just wanted to make their project look creepy on purpose. You know. Dress for power sort of thing.'  
  
Wufei snorted, 'Don't be so fanciful, Maxwell. I don't care what the colouring is, this would look revolting in any colouring, to be honest.' He gestured at the man sized tubes and the bio hazard suits worn by the technicians inside.   
  
'Wufei, are you this scared around your own project?'  
  
'Are you kidding? I don't have anything to do with Delta at this level, I only deal with the reports that they send up. You know I don't like getting involved in the experimental side.'  
  
'Don't like to get your hands dirty, eh?' Duo grinned at Wufei, who merely grimaced and shook his head. 'Oh well, that's where we are different, I guess. I kind of like playing with new things. Especially at the experimental stage. For example, at Epsilon, we are interested in exploring the boundaries of the human mind.' Duo turned and winked at Quatre who paled, as he began to realise that the tubes held living beings.   
  
'Project Epsilon deals with manipulating the human mind. We start with the premise that the mind is infinitely flexible, for example, we can take anyone, absolutely anyone at all, and turn him or her, into a killing machine. That's not really that difficult, hell, even our ancestors were able to do that, though not without using some kind of drug dependency or other aberrations that leaves the killer, hmmm... lets call it, socially incompetent.' Duo smiled sweetly at Quatre who was looking at him in horror.   
  
'I have to admit, there is more of a challenge when you try to create a killer who is very able to ingratiate him or herself into normal society and function as an ordinary person,' Duo's eyes glittered coolly as he placed an open hand on the glass, watching the activity in the room with avid interest. However, both Quatre and Wufei's attention were riveted on Duo.  
  
'Still, being able to produce a killer isn't really that much of a challenge you know. What we were interested in, why Romefeller Foundation first began funding Project Epsilon, was in seeing if we could use the same concept to produce intellectual or creative geniuses. Can you imagine, being able to produce a Beethoven or an Einstein on demand? It's an old concept of course and our counterpart, Theta, is looking at genetic manipulation to achieve the same ends. They're looking at altering foetuses. But Epilson is dealing with a different aspect. We are interesting in transforming ordinary people, not,' he couldn't help chuckling softly to himself, 'like you or me, but ordinary people, people who don't listen, people who don't think and people who just live out their lives in dreary sameness, time after time. Imagine, instead of a population of fools, we'd be able to create a population of geniuses. Of course,' Duo mused thoughtfully, 'there are a few, minor problems.'  
  
'Maxwell.' Wufei managed to get out a brief word of warning, before an incensed Quatre leapt forward and smashed both himself and Duo against the unyielding glass.   
  
Duo and Quatre folded in a tangle of frenzied arms and legs and the furious blond was only finally pulled off his prey by the three guards who had arrived in response to Wufei's call.   
  
Wufei fingered the long scratch left on Duo's bloodied face and summoned a medic. He also told the guards to place restraints on Quatre's arms and legs before dismissing them.   
  
Duo glared indignantly at Quatre who was looking at him in absolute hatred. 'I can't believe you went psycho like that. I don't know what set you off this time but you definitely need help. To think that I used to think that Heero was exaggerating when he described you going nutzoid in the Wing Zero. Huh. Man, I hurt, everywhere. Where's that medic?'  
  
'He's coming. Maxwell, you are an idiot. I told you to keep him in restraints but oh no...'  
  
'Wufei. No body like an 'I told you so', so shut up.'  
  
Quatre continued to struggle silently against the steel restraints, as he burned with hatred for the abomination that masqueraded as a pleasant, smiling human. When he was listening to the rubbish spewed by Duo Maxwell, he began to finally understand that he was totally and absolutely, evil.   
  
*****  
  
'Sally, we have to get out of here.'   
  
Heero spoke gently, as he sat cradling the injured woman in his arms.  
  
Sally smiled painfully. She still couldn't see anything more than a blur with her damaged eyes and she knew that she wouldn't be able to move. Hell, she could barely talk.  
  
'Heero...' She managed to croak, 'you have to... you have to go... alone. Leave... me.'  
  
Heero's arms tightened, almost painfully. 'No.'  
  
'Please... Heero. ... Go.'   
  
Sally gasped out, wishing that she could just die or fall unconscious, anything to get away from the constant pain. She stopped as a warm drop of water fell on her face. A tear?   
  
*****  
  
'It's an interesting idea. I didn't realise that Epilson was more than just a project in looking at enhancing humans with cybernetic implants.'  
  
'That's because you don't pay attend enough meetings.' Duo sniggered. 'What was your last excuse? Oh yeah, that you had to attend an emergency at the Delta centre. And what was the emergency anyway? Your message never specified that.'  
  
'Oh, that.' Wufei blushed. 'One of our plants got a little too attached to a technician and tried to follow her home. She wasn't really happy about that and one thing led to another, and well...' he grinned, 'you won't believe this but I almost lost biodome 2 over that incident.'   
  
'You are going to have to tell me more about that later.' Duo chuckled. 'But now, you'll have to excuse me while I continue my discussion with our reluctant guest. You know, Quatre, you are going to have to something about that nasty temper of yours. Ouch, that had to hurt.' He waved the medic towards the struggling blond. 'Do something for his wrists will you?'   
  
*****  
  
Heero sighed as Sally drifted once again into unconsciousness. He wondered what he should do now. Escape with the severely injured woman was impossible, but he couldn't bear to just abandon her. He held her closely to him, wishing that he could do more. Heero smoothed her hair once more, trying to push the tangled strands away from the pale face.   
  
'Sally. I'm sorry. I can't leave you. Not like this.' Heero murmured softly to the unconscious woman, feeling an odd sense of peace as he decided to stay and wait, with her.  
  
*****  
  
'Have you thought about what you were going to do with Heero?'  
  
Duo started, and turned to see Wufei, looking at him solemnly. 'What do you mean, Wufei?' He noted with amusement that Quatre had stopped struggling and was listening intently at the mention of Heero.  
  
'Well, it's just. You know what he's like. He's going to be trouble. I don't like the idea of just leaving him in a cell.'  
  
'Oh Wufei, you underestimate me.' Duo laughed. 'Don't worry, Heero's not going to cause us any trouble, at least not right now. He's probably too occupied by his new cell mate to be spending any attention to trying to escape.'  
  
Wufei frowned, he didn't like the look in Maxwell's eyes when he mentioned the cell mate. He contemplated pushing for further information and then decided to wait, Duo always ended up telling him everything, sooner or later, he could always count on Duo's love of having an audience.   
  
Quatre sat and fumed silently. He ignored the medic who continued to work silently, to first staunch the bleeding and then to protect the wrists from further damage with generous bandaging. He almost missed the tiny click when the medic loosened the restraints, first on his wrists then, his legs as he shielded his activity behind the first aid container. Quatre deliberately kept his eyes on Duo and Wufei as they continued to spar light heartedly, in their verbal dancing, and saw the medic pack up the container than leave silently. He narrowed his gaze as he tested the restraints carefully. Tempting though it was, to simply jump up and strangle Duo, his new restraints had been the result of that foolish manoeuvre and Quatre decided that he needed to think through his next move more carefully. He intended to survive and also to rescue Heero, as well as the new cell mate that Duo was hinting at. Quatre wondered who that could be.  
  
*****  
  
tbc... 


	2. Part II

AC 203  
  
Part II  
  
The door opened noiselessly and Heero looked up sharply.  
  
A soldier walked in to the small room and looked at the dark haired man cradling a severely injured woman in his arms. He knelt and looked at Heero steadily as the latter glared at him sullenly.   
  
'I'm with Sally.' The soldier whispered, as he started to pull out his gun. 'I came here to rescue her, if I could. If not, I was supposed to kill her but now I've got a problem.' He poised the gun at Heero, who gazed back at him in cold determination.   
  
'You.'   
  
He sighed as he hesitated, before lowering his gun and handing it over to Heero, who continued to look at him in silence. 'I don't supposed you'd let me kill her.' He looked at Heero who nodded slightly in response.   
  
'If I try to help you escape, I blow my cover and ruin everything that we were working for, me, Sally and the others who are trying to stop the Foundation. If I don't.' He smiled tiredly, 'then what we are fighting for becomes totally meaningless. At least for me.' He sighed again as he looked down at the battered woman's face.   
  
Heero looked at the soldier's worried frown and waited silently for him to come to a decision. He wasn't surprised when after a moment, the soldier looked up with a renewed flash in his eyes and held out his arms for Sally.   
  
'I need you to create some distraction for me so that I can get Sally out of here.' The soldier asked Heero as he gently held the unconscious woman. 'I can tell you where Quatre Winner is being held. I gave him a little bit of help earlier but I'm not sure if that was enough for him to have freed himself yet. Do you think that you can cause enough destruction to give me time to get Sally out of here, if possible without losing my cover?'  
  
'Mission accepted.' Heero replied tonelessly as he got up. He stopped before the door and hesitated slightly, then, turning back to the soldier he held out his hand. 'I'm Heero Yuy. And you are?'  
  
'Ryo, Ryo Saneda.' The soldier replied with a blinding smile as he carefully got to his feet with Heero's assistance, cradling Sally in his arms. 'I've heard about you from Sally. I hope you're as good as she says.'  
  
Heero smiled smugly as he softly murmured, 'better', and left.   
  
*****  
  
'So have you managed to get Heero in bed yet?' Duo asked with a cold glint in his eyes that belied the amused grin he wore.  
  
Quatre bit his lips as he fought against the black hatred that burned his chest. Trying not to lose control, he spat tersely, 'that's really not any of your business.'  
  
'Really?' Duo's voice was light and mocking, but his eyes had gone totally dead as he looked at the incensed blond man in front of him. 'I wonder if Heero feels the same way. Maybe after our little chat, I should go and ask him.'  
  
'Stay away from Heero!' Quatre snarled, desperately fighting his instinct to jump out of the chair and knock that infuriating grin off the innocent looking mask in front of him. 'You had no right to bring him into this. Don't turn this into a fight about Heero. You lost him the day you signed on with the Foundation. I had nothing to do with the two of you splitting up and I refuse to let you use Heero as an excuse.'  
  
'Excuse!' Duo exclaimed sharply, all pretence of good humour disappearing from his face as for the first time he allowed the true depth of bitterness and resentment that he felt, to surface and contort his features with rage. 'You arrogant bastard.' He breathed harshly as he sat up right suddenly, squarely facing the equally angry blond on the opposite side of the table. Quatre narrowed his eyes as he stiffened warily in his chair, this angry man with eyes brimming with burning tears, was a Duo that he had never seen.   
  
'You still haven't understood, have you? Heero doesn't love you and he never will.' Duo's cold and calm voice was a disconcerting contrast to the flush of anger still staining his cheeks, as he again relaxed into his chair, looking casual and carefree as usual. Despite his rage, Quatre couldn't help wishing that he was as successful at maintaining self-control but he was unable to stop his voice from shaking from the force of his emotions as he responded.   
  
'What I do understand is that Heero doesn't love you any more either.' Quatre spat, 'what's more I doubt that he ever did! How can he fall in love with someone who doesn't even exist? You may have managed to fool him, fool all of us, during the war, with that fake smile, but not any longer. You are nothing a cold-blooded killer who only cares about himself. I can't believe I used to think of you as a friend. Damn you!' Quatre burst out in frustration. 'Damn you to hell, you smiling demon!'  
  
Duo stood up and walked over to Quatre and raised his hand in obvious deliberation before slapping Quatre once, squarely on his left cheek. 'I'm sorry Quatre,' he shrugged as he leaned against the side of the table, 'but I was told to do that with hysterical people. Now, now,' he shook his finger gently at the enraged man, 'let's try to keep this to a civilized dialogue, shall we? I refuse to be a party to violence unless,' he smirked, 'and only unless, absolutely necessary.'   
  
Quatre trembled as he tried to contain his growing wrath and in the midst of his internal battle for control, the face of a boy with large eyes and dark hair rose in his mind, slowing flooding his mind with calm and remembered warmth in its wake. He clung to that image with all his desperation as he decided to try to see if he could shatter Duo's self-confidence, to force him back to that fleeting moment when he had glimpsed the vulnerability and pain underneath.   
  
'Do you really want me to answer your first question? About whether Heero and I have... ah... consummated,' Quatre savoured the word slowly, deliberately taunting Duo with a sensuous smile, 'our relationship?' He paused to watch Duo carefully, to see the effect of his words and observed the slow stiffening of Duo's features as his face emptied itself of all expression, with growing satisfaction. It seemed that Heero was a sensitive topic, not just to himself but to Duo as well. Even as he plotted to press his advantage, Quatre idly wondered how far he dared to push on this particular weakness before one of them snapped.   
  
Duo snapped upright from his slouch and walked away from the sitting blond and his wretched question. He could taste the bile in his mouth as he turned around and walked back, dragging the chair around so that he was now sitting face to face with the blond, deliberately placing the table in the middle.   
  
'No more games.' Duo spoke quietly in monotone. He folded his hands together and looked at Quatre, who started visibly on seeing the burning desperation in his eyes. Quatre nodded once, then waited.  
  
'Let me tell you what I want.' Duo continued with an empty smile. 'I want Heero. I want him back in our apartment, back in my bed, where he belongs. And I want him out of that small, empty cell that I had to put him in, thanks to you and your wretched little games. Now, what I want to know is how you turned him against me. What did you tell him?' He hissed suddenly, 'back when we were still together and happy. Remember Quatre? Before you connived your way into Heero's life through his job at Nexus. You started all our fights, because you just wouldn't leave him alone. Why couldn't you just leave us alone?   
  
Quatre sat still as he closed his eyes and tried to banish the surging memories.   
  
Duo and Heero, together and smiling.  
  
He reluctantly returned to his car, feeling the emptiness of the seat beside him as he looked wistfully outside the window at the couple walking away, so completely wrapped up in each other's presence that they'd already forgotten his existence.  
  
Staring at the phone, knowing that he shouldn't but unable to stop himself from picking up the phone, just to hear that voice again.   
  
Nexus. The title on the folder stared back at him blankly. He scanned the report without much interest until one particular name jumped up at him. Special Information Consultant: Heero Yui.  
  
Large blue eyes, eyes to drown in. Quatre remembered the first time he had seen a smile on that flawless face. A beach glimmering with light and two dogs, barking and running beside him as he looked back and laughed, realising that he wasn't alone. As he looked back at the still figure sitting by the tent, feeling the promise of a new beginning. Then disappointment that soured and congealed into bitter loneliness, as he saw the beautiful statue slowing waking to warmth and laughter in the security of the peace, not to him as he had hoped, but to another.  
  
Quatre remembered the piercing pain that he had felt, that he still felt, when Heero had come to him with a glowing face, eyes dancing with excitement, to tell him that he was going to be living together with Duo. He wanted to banish the memories, to protest that their love had been false, and that Duo was lying, but... he couldn't.   
  
'I... I didn't mean to cause any problems, Duo.' Quatre admitted slowly, painfully. 'It was just that... I felt so alone and you were my friend.' Quatre grimaced, 'actually during the war, you were my best friend. I think that made it harder for me to stay away. And after a while,' he sighed, 'I guess I didn't even think about it anymore. I wanted to see Heero and to be with him and it was easy to make excuses once we started working together at Nexus. I think that I even believed in some of those excuses myself. But that doesn't mean that I was deliberately trying to break up you and Heero.'  
  
Duo felt hollow inside, he had been waiting to hear this admission from Quatre for over a year now, so why did it feel so meaningless? He stood up abruptly and started to walk away, ignoring Quatre's startled gaze boring into his back, he walked to the door and left, in silence. He wasn't sure where he was going but all of a sudden, he knew that he couldn't bear to be in Quatre's presence any longer.   
  
Quatre gazed emptily at the closed door, troubled by the old, awakened guilt. He had tried so hard to justify his actions when he first began having suspicions about the Foundation but he found himself shaken, more than he cared to admit, by Duo's accusations. He had always maintained that Duo was being paranoid whenever he had accused Quatre of deliberately turning Heero against him but he was finding it harder and harder to ignore the nagging doubt that maybe he was right, whenever he thought back to the past.   
  
Maybe, Duo was right when he blamed Quatre for his break up with Heero. Because Quatre knew that the one thing he couldn't do, then or now, was to give up Heero. In the end, it didn't really matter because what ever his intention had been, he was unable to stop himself from reaching out for Heero, to keep trying to find the tiny reflection of himself, imbedded inside those large orbs, to see those eyes lighten up when looking at his face, even as they had for Duo.   
  
*****  
  
Duo walked briskly, occasionally nodding and smiling as he passed others, outwardly the picture of calm but inside, he was burning. Over and over, he replayed Quatre's voice in his head, 'Heero doesn't love you anymore', Duo couldn't help wondering if that was true, no, if he had to be honest with himself, Duo admitted bitterly, that what he really was terrified of was that it was and that everything Quatre had said was the truth. Which left him with what, zero chance of getting Heero back.... No. He couldn't accept that. He knew that if he could just get the chance to see Heero and to explain his side, instead of the poisoned filth that Quatre had filled his head with, than Heero would come back to him. Duo hastened his steps, eager to see his lover, to hold him and to put his world back together the way it was, the way it always should have been.  
  
*****  
  
Quatre grimaced as he examined the gash in the unconscious soldier's forehead. He had hit him harder than necessary, and he mouthed a silent apology as he carefully lowered the soldier's head back to the ground. With proper medical care, the soldier should recover, hopefully without any permanent injury. Quatre straightened his borrowed uniform and checked his gun carefully, hoping that no one would notice that his uniform didn't fit him quite properly.   
  
Quatre opened the door carefully and sighed with relief when he realized that the corridor was empty. He walked over to the elevator and pressed level 3, he was pretty sure that from the view of lab that he had in his cell, that it was located in the floor beneath where he had been detained. When Duo had captured Heero and Quatre, they had been attempting to break into the facility to gather information on Project Epsilon that he could pass on to his sister Iria, to force the Foundation to close down the unorthodox Project. Without proof, any accusations that he made against Duo looked like an act of jealousy, a personal vendetta, as he had discovered when he had first approached Relena with his concerns. He checked the gun once more carefully, swiftly returning it to his belt and straightening his posture as the elevator doors opened.   
  
As he walked down the corridor, a large double door opened and two technicians pushing a trolley loaded with heavy equipment passed by, chatting energetically. Quatre continued to walk, deliberately pushing his steps faster so that he could catch a glance of inside before the doors closed. As he continued past the now closed doors, he slowed his pace to a more methodical stroll, thinking furiously about the machinery he had seen within. It wasn't the lab he was looking for, but he thought that he had recognised the hulking shape in the deep recess of the room, the silhouette looked like the head of a Gundam.  
  
*****  
  
'Transmission acknowledged, will stand by to assist.'  
  
Heero turned off the terminal, satisfied that Ryo and Sally would now be safe. He wished that he had some explosives with him but Quatre had insisted on coming unarmed for a quiet, reconnaissance to gather evidence. Quatre had convinced him that they should no longer react as soldiers or terrorists, but as law biding citizens and that they would be able to close down Epsilon through legal agencies. He sighed as he examined the gun that Ryo had left him. He hadn't used one in over two years, so why did it still feel so comfortable? He laid the gun down on the desk carefully, and picked up the CD that he had downloaded the files marked with EPS* in front of the file names. He started to his feet, deliberately leaving behind the gun on Duo's desk. Heero wanted to try to resolve this, Quatre's way, without any more violence or killing. He had his fill of killing during the war and he didn't intend to be involved in another war, even if, his lips quirked into a smile, he had to die trying.   
  
He had the information that Quatre and he had come for, so all he had to do now was to collect the blond. Heero swung himself up into the air duct with ease, and started to crawl forward. From the floor plans on Duo's terminal, the cell that he and Quatre had been taken to originally was located in Section D4, and he had noticed that there was a heliport on top of Section D, with a helicopter on permanent standby for personal use of the Director. He smiled grimly at the irony, Duo aiding Heero and Quatre to escape, not from OZ or Federation this time, but from himself. Heero shook his head and told himself sternly to get his mind off the smiling face with its outrageous braid, he paused for a moment as he came to a juncture and retraced the map in his mind, then confident once more, he continued on.  
  
*****  
  
Duo looked at the empty cell and felt hollow. He looked at the guard who gazed back at him in total bewilderment.  
  
'I... I... but.. he.. they were here. And I was here, all this time. Well, that is in my office. I...'  
  
Duo gestured the babbling guard to fall silent. He looked at the cell and then at the undamaged door.  
  
'He had help.'  
  
Duo's eyes narrowed coldly.   
  
'There's a mole.'  
  
The guard paled dramatically and Duo's eyes glinted briefly with amusement.  
  
'Not you. I think I better check on my other guest. Tell Security to go to intruder alert in silent mode, code G1 and seal all exits.'  
  
Duo turned and started to run down the corridor, anxious to get back to Quatre. 'As long as I still have him, Heero will have to come to me.' Duo thought grimly.  
  
*****  
  
Quatre started as a soft beep went off in his belt, he picked up the small beeper and read the text message.  
  
INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT! ALL EXITS SEALED! STAY IN OWN SECTION! CODE G1. EXTREME DANGER!   
  
He smiled to himself, 'Heero must have escaped.' He felt considerably more light hearted as he turned the corner and walked towards the lab doors marked EPS*HE04. He nodded politely to the other guard who had arrived at the door at a run, before kicking him, hard in the stomach. As the soldier collapsed silently, Quatre knocked him out with a karate chop to the base of his neck. Then he grabbed hold of the unconscious man and dragged him around the corner, and walked back to the door and came to a complete stop.  
  
Quatre looked at the immobile lab doors in consternation as he suddenly realized that the lab had been sealed, and that he was stuck on the outside.   
  
*****  
  
Heero grunted softly in relief as he dropped from the air duct. Even as he had crawled through to the last section, a steel frame had suddenly slammed down, cutting him off, he scowled as he looked around the ducting pipe and realized that he was effectively sealed into the room. He muttered 'Duo', who else would be paranoid enough to seal off air ducts? At least he had succeeded in reaching his objective first, so he had broken through the ducting pipe, only to find an empty room. Heero frowned, he wished he knew whether Quatre had escaped, or whether he had been moved to another place. He sighed and started to stretch his arms and legs, relieved to be free from the confining space at last. 'It used to be a lot easier to move through those things when I was fifteen.' Heero muttered crossly as he started to stretch his back.  
  
'You haven't changed that much since you were fifteen.'  
  
Heero swung back in sudden alarm, instinctively falling in a crouch as he turned and froze.   
  
Duo smiled at him and pointed his gun.  
  
'Déjà vu.'  
  
Heero glared at him and slowly stood up with his arms held up in surrender.   
  
*****  
  
Quatre hissed impatiently as he continued to work on the opening mechanism of the lift. He swore at the sadistic maker who had contrived at his escape only to place him in the position of trying to return to the same place. He was pretty confident that he could breach the glass barrier that had been in his confinement cell and gain access to the lab. Now if he could just open the damn lift doors, then he could climb up through the lift shaft, and sighed dismally as he reminded himself, open that lift's doors, from the inside this time, then get into the cell, hopefully that won't be a problem, then work out how to break the glass. No problem. Riiiiight.  
  
'Next time, we bring explosives, guns, and a Gundam.' Quatre promised himself grimly as the doors finally opened.  
  
*****  
  
'Why is it that whenever we meet, one of us is pointing a gun at the other. It's kind of like having a theme song.' Duo bantered lightheartedly, his eyes never leaving the frozen figure standing with his hands half raised. 'Oh maybe,' he smirked, 'what Freud said about guns and sex is true.'  
  
Heero shrugged carelessly as he slowly dropped his arms.   
  
'You haven't changed much either. You still talk too much.'  
  
Duo smiled wryly at the familiar response as he gestured for Heero to sit down and perched on the table, still holding the gun firmly targeted on his beloved's face.   
  
'Because you don't talk enough.' Duo paused and Heero started as he saw the tears welling in his eyes, 'I want you to come home Heero. I don't know how we came to this but I'm not your enemy Heero. I love you. Don't you remember? Let's just go home and get on with our lives.'  
  
Heero looked at the gun still pointed at him and then at the tears dropping slowly from the violet eyes. He sighed.   
  
'No.'  
  
Duo stiffened, his eyes hardening to stone.  
  
'No. That's it! That's all you have to say to me! Damn it, I deserve more than that from you. I need you Heero. I need you more than that blond bastard. I can give you anything you need now. I can keep you safe. I would have kept you safe, not brought you into this. Damn you.' Duo spat as Heero sat unmoving, 'Why!' He howled, 'Why can't you love me? Why can't you stay with me! Why! What did I do that was so wrong? Tell me, and I'll change.' He caught his breath in a sob, 'Please, Heero.'  
  
Heero looked at the raging man in front and felt a crushing darkness in his heart. He opened his mouth to explain, then stopped. He didn't know what to say or to explain how this had happened. He tried to clear his thoughts, to try to pin point exactly when things began going wrong, when he and Duo started to move apart.   
  
'It's not... I...' Heero stopped, wondering what he was going to say, what he should say. 'You... you aren't the person I fell in love with.' Heero blurted at last, his expression betraying the internal turmoil and pain, 'I'm not.. I love you, Duo. I still love the Duo that I met and fell in love with, all those years ago. But that's not who you are. I don't even know if I know who you are anymore. I don't understand you. What are you doing here? Why are you involved with Project Epsilon?' He hesitated briefly before continuing in a firm voice. 'I won't allow you or anyone else to dictate how we should live or what we should be. That's why I was fighting against Oz. Why we were all fighting, for freedom, in what we do and what we choose to be. Wasn't that why you were fighting with us, Duo? Help us Duo. Help Quatre to close down Project Epsilon.'   
  
At the mention of Quatre's name, Duo stiffened visibly. Heero stopped and waited silently, wishing that he had the words to vanish the coldness that had appeared in Duo's eyes.   
  
'Help Quatre.' Duo's lips twisted into a bitter smile, as he started forward, then placing his hand around Heero's neck, the gun pressing firmly against Heero's lower belly, he pushed forward until the two bodies were pressed against the wall. 'I don't ever want to hear his name. Not from you. Not ever again. Do you understand?'  
  
Heero looked at the icy burning eyes and closed his eyes in resignation, he knew that he had failed and that Duo wasn't listening to him anymore. 'Yes.' He murmured softly and waited for Duo to back off, then he opened his eyes when he realised that the pressure of the hand around his neck had disappeared but he could still feel the fingers resting lightly on his neck. He took a swift breath as he saw the familiar sight of the violet eyes dancing wickedly, their long lashes lowering seductively.   
  
Duo was no longer pressing his weight against Heero, but he hadn't moved away from their closeness, just standing still, his face close enough for Heero to feel the warmth of his breath. He leaned forward slowly until he was touching Heero's pale cheek with his own, and whispered gently, his lips brushing softly against Heero's slightly parted lips, as he spoke. 'I missed you Heero. Do you still remember our first time? Do you remember how I held you close, like this.' He slipped his arm around the unmoving figure and pulled him even closer. 'And then I said,'  
  
'I love you.'   
  
Duo started in surprise, almost dropping his gun, as Heero closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around him, leaning his head against his shoulder as he spoke.   
  
'...'  
  
Duo felt his heart pounding as he returned the hug, his lips on the dark, soft head.   
  
*****  
  
Quatre muttered curses to the uncaring universe as he finally managed to forced open the lift doors on level 4. It had turned out to be even more difficult to open them from inside the shaft then it had been in the corridor. He climbed out of the shaft in considerable relief and looked at his torn and greased uniform ruefully. He looked down the empty corridor and felt that luck was finally turning in his favour.   
  
He walked briskly towards the third door in the corridor, and noticed with relief that it had been left slightly ajar. Now all he had to do was to get inside and break the glass barrier. He felt a smug smile spread across his face as he concentrated on how he would destroy the lab once he managed to get inside.  
  
*****  
  
tbc...  
  



	3. Part III

Part III.  
  
Quatre slowly pushed open the door of his former cell, hoping that it'd be empty. He froze as his eyes rested on the one sight that he had most dreaded seeing.  
  
Heero opened his eyes and raised his head from Duo's shoulder, and saw Quatre standing in the doorway, one hand still on the doorknob, a gun held limply in the other. Heero instinctively moved away from Duo's embrace, flushing guiltily as he gazed on the white, stricken face of his friend. Duo frowned as he felt Heero move and started to release him, then grabbed hold of his arm and twisted it behind his back, forcing Heero to his knees, as he saw Quatre.  
  
'Let him go.'   
  
Quatre stated coldly, his gun now aimed directly at Duo's face.   
  
In response, Duo raised his own gun and held it next to Heero's head.  
  
'He's mine. I'll see him dead before I let him go with you.'  
  
He stated flatly.   
  
Quatre glared at him in fury as he hesitated, his hand on the gun trembling from the effort to keep from firing. He still felt sick with rage and apprehension from having seen Heero in Duo's arms, and more than anything he wanted to blast that arrogant face but he didn't dare take the risk of Duo firing. He slowly lowered the gun, hating the smug grin that spread across Duo's face, and repeated,  
  
'Let him go. Please.' He added hollowly.  
  
Duo smirked and moved the gun away from Heero and pointed it directly at Quatre.   
  
'You can't imagine how tempted I am to get rid of you, once and for all.' He stopped and twisted Heero's arm a little further, forcing a grunt out of him. 'Don't move Heero.' He turned his attention on Quatre who was looking on in rage. 'Now then, seeing as the odds are two to one in your favour, I'm afraid that I need to balance the odds a little, so I'm going to ask you to take that gun and put it outside, then close the door and come over here and join us.' He waited until Quatre reluctantly sat down.   
  
'As you just saw, Heero and I are back together again.' Duo smiled sweetly at Heero who turned his face away. 'So, I'm going to have to ask you to stop interfering in our lives and to stay away from us, especially Heero, who's going to be staying with me. If you can agree to that, I think we could start discussing letting you leave.'  
  
Quatre looked at Heero whose eyes remained downcast, refusing contact with either Duo or himself. He said heavily, 'I want to hear that from Heero first. Do you want to stay with Duo? Heero?' He prompted again, as Heero remained silent.   
  
Heero looked first at the pale blond, then at Duo who smiled back at him in confidence. His voice was calm and soft as usual as he replied. 'No. I'm leaving with you Quatre. We have what we came for.' He flinched involuntarily at the sudden darkening of Duo's expression and turned towards him with a pleading look. 'Duo, I'm... I'm sorry. But you know that I can't stay with you. We are no longer fighting on the same side. I...' He broke off as a bullet sped past his cheek, barely missing him.   
  
Duo was now turning his gun on Quatre who had jumped to his feet when the gun went off. 'Sit down. Now.' He snapped. 'If I shoot at you, I won't be aiming to miss. Just remember that you are both trespassers and I can always claim self defense, especially with the gun outside with Quatre's prints all over it.' He looked emptily at Heero who had tensed when he first turned the gun on Quatre. 'I don't understand. I thought you loved me. Are you just playing games with my head? What can I do or say that will make you understand that I love you. That I need you.' He ground the last words out, burning with bitterness. 'Stay with me,' He cried out.   
  
Quatre looked at Duo who had started to cry, and at Heero whose face was ashen and felt guilt and jealousy gnawing at his guts as he saw the unmistakable pain in Heero's eyes. He thought about all his dreams of a future with Heero and for the first time, he felt sympathy for Duo.   
  
Heero stood up and walked over to Duo, then cradled his head in his arms as Duo continued to weep. After a moment, he began speaking.  
  
'Fighting for peace. Imposing Freedom. We still haven't learned our lesson. I can't live by killing others, not any more. I'm haunted by death, Duo. Of those I've killed, and those I've seen being killed. You want me to tell you, I love you? That's easy, I love you, Duo. I always have and always will. But I can't stay with you. Look at what you are doing, what you've done. You are still killing people. You even threatened to kill me, and Quatre. For what reason? Simply because it was expedient? Because they were in your way? I can't stay with you because you don't even see how wrong it all is.' Heero fell silent and dropped his arms as Duo looked up with an angry face, his eyes still reddened.   
  
'Don't you realise that the Colonies are preparing for another war, this time, with each other. It'll be a Firestorm that will engulf this tiny solar system.' He spat, getting to his feet and grabbing Heero's shoulders roughly, he began shaking him. 'Don't bury your head in the sand. You're tired of all the fighting and killing. Well, so am I, and Wufei and all the others in the Foundation. The difference is that we're willing to do something about it. We're the ones responsible for breaking off relationships with the Colonies. Quarantine!' He laughed scornfully. 'The Colonies didn't even understand that we deliberately engineered the breach with them so that at least we could stay out of the coming war. You are right when you said that we haven't changed. But look at yourself, at Quatre, breaking illegally into this building and destroying property, stealing information! You haven't changed either, Heero. You can try to hide from yourself as much as you like but in the end, you, we are all still Gundam pilots, soldiers and killers. The Foundation is trying to explore the different ways in which we can change, our physical form, our minds and our society, to prevent this cycle of violence. Maybe it will work, maybe it won't, but at least we're trying. Damn you.' He snarled, suddenly shoving Heero away from him. 'Why can't you understand that we're still on the same side?'  
  
Quatre started to his feet and swiftly moved to the fallen figure, helping Heero to get back on his feet. He glared at the angry man, both of them totally oblivious to the gun that had dropped to the ground during the scuffle.   
  
'You can't justify bombing a building to delay construction of a relay satellite, especially when a group of school kids got caught in the blast. And you can't justify kidnapping and torturing people for your sick experiments. You are working for the Foundation for power and money, for your self-aggrandisement and not for the benefit of others. No matter how you try to defend your actions, the ends don't justify the means Duo. Treize finally learned that lesson but only when it was too late for him, remember? You can still put an end to all this. Help us to shut down this project. Help us rescue those poor men in the lab.'   
  
'Poor men.' Duo laughed out loud, throwing his head back in genuine amusement. He grinned smugly at the bewildered look on Quatre's face. 'You really do have me pegged as a total villain, don't you Quatre? Those poor men, as you called them, are volunteers, who underwent strenuous physical and mental examinations before they were accepted into the project as test subjects. We have no intention of picking just any one off the streets and forcing them to participate. That'd be a total waste of funds and energy.' His lips curled scornfully, as he turned to Heero who had watched the exchange with a still face.  
  
'Now then, Heero. Please. For the last time, come back to me and we'll start all over again from beginning. It'll be like the first time, you'll see.'  
  
Heero looked at the outstretched hand and the engaging grin, and his hand started forward, only to pause. He turned his head and looked at Quatre who had paled when his hand moved and turned deliberately and walked to his side. He looked sadly at Duo who was stunned into immobility.  
  
'It can never be like the first time, Duo.'  
  
*****  
  
Duo's face twisted into a bitter smile as he saw Heero reach over and take Quatre's hand firmly.   
  
'So, after all your fine words, in the end, you are nothing but a whore. What did he offer you Heero? Tell me how much you were worth.'  
  
Heero put out a hand to restrain Quatre when the latter started to rush forward, anger plain on his face.  
  
'Don't Duo. Don't do this, to yourself, or to me.'   
  
'I'm not the one who cheated in this relationship!' Duo exploded furiously, 'I'm not the one who dumped someone I love, just because I got a better deal.'   
  
'Duo, I told you that we were finished when I left our home. Quatre has been very kind to me. I don't think you understand how much I needed his support. I was devastated when I first left. I didn't know what to do, where to go. I don't know what I would have done if Quatre hadn't been there.'  
  
'Oh, I can tell you where you'd be. With me, where you belong. If it wasn't for his meddling, you wouldn't have left me in the first place. Why can't you see that he's been manipulating you, that all he wanted was to break us up so that he could pick up the pieces. Don't you see that?' Duo felt like howling with frustration as he pleaded with Heero.   
  
'Don't blame him for our breaking up.' Heero answered tersely, wishing that there was a way to make Duo understand once and for all. 'I told you that he had nothing to do with it. Damn you. I left you because I couldn't stand to fight with you any more. Because I couldn't stand this. Why won't you listen to me?'   
  
Quatre looked on in appalled silence as the two started to argue even more furiously, no longer listening to each other, or even, to themselves. He walked over and picked up the gun that Duo had dropped and hesitated for a moment then in silence, he turned and shot Duo in the leg.   
  
Heero started at the noise, then looked blankly at his lover who slowly collapsed, while blood started spilling down his trousers.   
  
'Duo...'   
  
Quatre moved and grabbed hold of Heero's arm firmly as he started to surge forward, and said urgently. 'Don't. Don't go to him. It's over. We have to concentrate on getting out of here. Remember? He's not hurt too badly, he should recover completely as soon as he gets medical help.'  
  
Heero looked pained but allowed Quatre to pull him out of the room, his eyes glued on Duo's accusing stare.   
  
*****   
  
'Take good care of her please.' Ryo whispered urgently as he gently passed the unconscious woman into the arms of the waiting man.   
  
'What about you? What are you going to do?' Zechs looked at Ryo with concern. 'Your cover's pretty much blown thanks to this escapade. And since you worked under your real identity, trying to hide from the Foundation is going to be pretty difficult. Would you like me to set you up with a new identity in one of the Colonies?'  
  
'No. Wait. I'm going to go back.' Ryo answered steadily, 'I asked Heero to see if he could cover our escape and I need to go back and check that he's okay. And if I'm still not discovered than I can continue to work undercover. If it's too late then,' he shrugged. 'I guess that the best I can do is to try to get out with as much information as I can.'  
  
'It's too dangerous.' Zechs frowned, as he checked the harness holding Sally's body, 'but I don't have time to argue with you. I have to get her some medical attention as soon as possible. So, I'll take your word for it. If you can, try to call for assistance. Good luck.'  
  
Ryo stood back as the white robot lifted off and disappeared into the dark sky. He wished that he was as confident as he had sounded. But he felt a strong sense of obligation to the dark haired man who had helped him and Sally. He had to check that Heero was okay. He turned and started to walk back to the car.  
  
*****   
  
'Did you really have to go back and bandage his leg?' Quatre asked, unable to hide the annoyance in his voice.   
  
Heero continued to climb up the elevator shaft in silence, as he tried to find the words to explain how he felt and failed.   
  
Quatre sighed at the continuing silence from the above figure and simply concentrated on climbing. He wanted to ask Heero about the scene that he had witnessed when he first walked into the room. He wanted Heero to tell him that it was all over with Duo. He wanted... he sighed again. He wanted to go home with Heero and to put all this out of his mind. He wished that he had shot Duo in his black heart when he had the chance. He wondered if he would ever feel confident of Heero's feelings. He gritted his teeth and decided that he needed to work out more often. It had been a long time since he had been required to engage in this level of strenuous exercise and he was definitely feeling the strain. He gazed at the nimble figure moving steadily and easily above him and focused on trying to keep up.   
  
Heero moved almost automatically, not really thinking about where he was putting his hands or feet, as he remembered the relief in the violet eyes when he had walked back to the room. He couldn't explain to Quatre that he had returned to Duo because he couldn't bear to think of Duo just lying there, bleeding. He knew that Quatre had been hurt when he had walked in and saw him in an embrace with Duo and he didn't want to hurt him any further. As always, he took refuge in silence and hoped that Quatre would understand. They were so close to getting out. As soon as they reached the roof, they could take the waiting helicopter and leave this place and Duo, once and for all. Heero started to move faster.  
  
Quatre groaned to himself as he forced himself to keep pace.   
  
*****   
  
'I can't believe Quatre shot you.'  
  
'Would you stop saying that? It's ridiculous and you're driving me crazy. Believe me, I've still got the bullet to prove it.'  
  
'I guess that it's all over with you and Heero then.'   
  
Duo clenched his fist and slammed the table. 'The hell it is. That blond menace shot me and dragged Heero with him. I have to save him, from himself if necessary. I know that it's not his fault. He's being manipulated by Quatre. I swear if any harm comes to Heero from this, I'll kill that blond barracuda with my bare hands.'  
  
Wufei looked at the furious face and decided against trying to convince him that Heero appeared to be acting completely under his own volition. He was beginning to be seriously alarmed that the relationship between the three was going out of control. He had always counted on Quatre to remain calm and rational, despite the excesses of Duo's jealous temper but the shooting had badly shaken his confidence that the matter could be resolved without a permanent breach in their friendship. He didn't believe that Heero had been tricked into having a relationship with Quatre, if the pilot of Wing Zero was involved with the blond beauty, it was for his own reasons. The problem was in trying to convince Duo of that. Wufei sighed to himself at Duo's stubborn refusal to accept that Heero was no longer interested in having a relationship with him.   
  
'He told me that he still loves me.' Duo's eyes glittered feverishly as he leaned heavily against his pillow, 'I knew it.' He crowed gleefully, ignoring Wufei, who discreetly folded away the table and started to tuck the blanket around him. 'I knew that he loved him. And I love him. We're going to be together again, Wufei. You'll see.'  
  
He fell silent as the drugs finally took effect and Wufei left him to sleep. He had decided that Duo's recent actions had all been due to the stress of his unhealthy obsession with Heero and that as a friend, it was his duty to try to help him. He felt confused by Heero's actions, he had seen the way the slender man had looked at Duo and he agreed with Duo, they were both still in love with each other. So why the complication? It seemed to Wufei that for Heero, at least, that love, was not enough.   
  
*****  
  
Beep!   
  
Quatre glanced down and stopped, glad for an excuse to rest briefly. He unhooked the small beeper carefully and looked at the display.   
  
CANCEL INTRUDER ALERT! ALL SECURITY UNITS REPORT TO SECTION COMMAND!   
  
'Heero.'  
  
Quatre called softly, bringing the above figure to a halt. 'The security alert has been cancelled. And that means,'  
  
He swore as a sudden hum interrupted him and the shaft began to shudder.  
  
'The elevators are back on.'  
  
Heero finished grimly as they looked up and saw the dark surface of the lift approaching.   
  
*****  
  
'But Director Chang, I'm not sure if,'  
  
'Don't worry. I'll take full responsibility. There hasn't been any damage to the property aside from the lift doors and until Director Maxwell recovers, I'm in charge of this Project. Release all exits as I've told you. One other thing,' Wufei's eyes narrowed as he looked at the building plans, 'tell the pilot standing by in Duo's helicopter to leave. Now. I don't care where, just tell him to leave immediately.'  
  
He hummed softly under his breath as he traced the glowing lines of the plans on the monitor. He was confident that Heero and Quatre would be trying to leave by the helicopter so all he had to do was to make sure that they weren't hampered in their attempt to get to the roof. He grinned, Maxwell had a tendency to overdo things, it wasn't really necessary to bring any others into this. He didn't even mind letting them go, although he thought that he should ask Heero to stay behind, to keep Duo quiet, as long as he could get the CD with the copy of the Project files. He got up and straightened his jacket, then walked leisurely out of Duo's office.   
  
*****  
  
'We have a problem.'  
  
Quatre sagged with exhaustion and leant against the door heavily.   
  
'Please, no more climbing. I can't take it anymore. We had to ride all the way down to Level 1B, thanks to that wretch lift, my arms are killing me from hanging onto the lift, and then we had to walk up 9 flights of stairs thanks to the alert being cancelled. Every muscle in my body is killing me.'  
  
Heero pointed to the empty heliport and shrugged.   
  
'Unless you can grow wings, I think we have to go back down.'  
  
Quatre groaned loudly as he started reluctantly to get to his feet.   
  
'Someone really hates me. I'm beginning to be sick of this building. I swear I'll never come back if I can just get out of here.'  
  
Heero laughed softly and helped Quatre up.   
  
'I told you that you should exercise more. And cut out the extra serving of chocolate fudge sundaes.'  
  
Quatre grinned tiredly as he put his arms around the slender body and tugged him closer, dropping light kisses on the dark hair, the smudged cheek and soft lips.   
  
'Mmm... maybe you're right. As soon as we get home, I think we should exercise. The kind that I like.'  
  
Heero chuckled and pushed him away light heartedly.   
  
'Don't. I'm ticklish.'  
  
Then he started as Quatre remained still, staring at him with a serious expression and widened his eyes as Quatre tightened his arms around him.   
  
'Heero, I love you.'  
  
Heero felt his heart thumping wildly as he froze in Quatre's stare, unable to speak or to move, as the blond man leaned in slowly, their lips locking in a burning kiss.   
  
'Excuse me.'  
  
Heero jumped and he hurriedly broke out of Quatre's embrace, flushing scarlet as they turned to see Wufei next to them.  
  
Wufei looked at Heero who reddened and looked away, then, at Quatre, looking very annoyed and put out by his interruption. He carefully closed the door behind him and walked over to the dark haired man then slapped him hard, once. Heero put his hand up to feel the bruised cheek and bit his lips, as the black haired pilot of Shenlong glared at him.  
  
'That's for Duo. To think that I believed you when you swore that you still loved him. Do you have any idea what you're doing? You can't have it both ways. Either you love Duo or you don't. You can't keep whining that you love him and then turn around and have an affair with Quatre.'  
  
Heero had paled under Wufei's accusations but he held still and looked at him in the eyes.  
  
'I do love Duo but our relationship is over. And now I'm trying to make a new life with Quatre. Is that clear enough?'  
  
Quatre had hurried to his lover's side during the confrontation and had started to take him into his arms when he was suddenly pushed aside.  
  
'No.' Wufei spat grimly as he inserted his body between the two. He looked at the angry blond with disdain. 'You have no honour Quatre. You desire that which belong to another. Whatever problems Heero and Duo are having, you have no place in them. You should not be here with him. I will allow you to leave, as long as you do so alone. Without Heero or the CD.'  
  
Quatre narrowed his eyes coldly as he glared back at the implacable onyx eyes.   
  
'Heero is no one's property. He stays or goes as he wills. And as for the CD, we need it as evidence. Duo's out of control Wufei and you know it. Help us to stop him before he goes too far.'  
  
Wufei turned to Heero who stared at him in mute appeal. 'You do realise that both of you are trespassers. Duo is more than in his rights to have one or both of you shot. I don't want to have any more violence. You told me once that you were sick of the killing. That you didn't want to live as a warrior any more. Prove it, Heero. Stay and convince Duo. He would listen you. You know that. As long as,' he gave Quatre a scathing glance, 'you stay away from him. There's nothing that Duo wouldn't do for you. If you really love Duo, then you'll stay and give him a chance.'   
  
'This is none of your business, Wufei!' Quatre stormed, grabbing the black haired man's arm and shoving him against the wall. 'How dare you interfere! You have no right.'  
  
'And you have no honour. By what right do you interfere in Heero and Duo's relationship? You are worse than scum. You coveted your friend's lover. I despise you.'  
  
Quatre blanched and dropped his hands, as he flinched from Wufei's remorseless words. Wufei pushed himself off the wall and started to brush down his suit.   
  
'I'm giving both of you a chance. I'm willing to let Quatre walk out of here now, as long as Heero and the CD remain here with me. Not as a prisoner.' Wufei added smoothly, 'Heero can leave when he wants to, as long as it's not with Quatre and he gives Duo a chance to talk things through.'  
  
'No.' Quatre heard himself saying dully as he brought out his gun and pointed it at Wufei who simply stared back coldly. 'I can't. Heero's staying with me. No deal.' He snarled suddenly and fired.  
  
Wufei stayed still as he saw Heero pushing Quatre's arm out of the way. His heart hammered rapidly as the bullet sped past and buried itself in the wall behind.   
  
'Duo was right. You are a psycho.' He sneered. 'You shot at an unarmed man. So much for your great principles. Well, Heero?'  
  
Heero looked at shaking man in his arms and slowly pried his fingers from the gun, then held it out to Wufei, along with the CD. 'I'm not leaving Quatre, Wufei. So, I suggest that you get out of our way. This mission is over. Come on Quatre, lets go home.'  
  
Quatre breathed heavily, his eyes still glazed from the shock. He hesitated, looking at the CD in Wufei's hands, then nodded.   
  
'You're right. Wufei.' He spoke icily, 'Tell Duo that I'll be watching him. If he steps out of line again or if we can find some hard evidence, we'll close down Project Epsilon. But for now, I'll back off.'  
  
Wufei glowered back and started to walk behind him.   
  
'There's nothing wrong with Project Epsilon. You just got sore because you lost the plans to Wing Zero. If you had just sold it to Duo when he first asked for it, none of this would have been necessary. Don't set yourself up against the Foundation Quatre, or you'll find that you've bitten off more than you can chew. We have resources, political, economical, that you can't even begin to imagine.'  
  
Wufei halted when they arrived at the elevators.  
  
'I suggest that you leave through the maintenance entrance in the rear of this building. I assume that you have a car parked nearby?'  
  
Heero nodded silently, then hesitated before calling out toWufei who had started to move away.  
  
'Wait. There's something that I think you should know.'  
  
Wufei paused, his head inclined slightly as he looked back at the smudged figure.  
  
'It's about Sally. Sally Po.'  
  
Wufei stiffened at the mentioned of his old partner in the Preventers. He hadn't seen her since their fiery dispute over his involvement in Project Delta.  
  
'She was here. In my cell. And hurt bad. I don't know what happened but I think Duo was involved somehow.' Heero spoke softly, his eyes betraying the pain and worry that he felt, 'I... I managed to get her out, I think. But I thought that you should know. You should be careful of Duo, Wufei. He's dangerous. I don't know what he's capable of doing any more.'  
  
Wufei nodded politely once than left, his mind churning furiously over Heero's words. He remembered the amused look in Duo's eyes when he had mentioned Heero's cell-mate with a sinking feeling. 'What are you really up to Duo?' Wufei wondered.  
  
'Sally? She was here? How?' Quatre broke off his startled questions as Heero lightly pressed his lips to him.  
  
'I'll tell you later. The lift's here. It's time we went home.'  
  
*****  
  
Duo glared at Wufei who simply stared back implacably.   
  
'You let them go. You cancelled my alert, took over my guards and just let them go. Just like that.'  
  
Wufei shrugged.  
  
He briefly debated with himself over whether he should tell Duo what he had witnessed on the roof but then prudently decided on the better part of valour. Instead, he decided to remind him of their priorities.  
  
'What are you going to do about this mole that you talked about? Do you have any ideas on who it might be yet?'  
  
Duo smirked as he turned the terminal toward Wufei, showing the face and profile on display.  
  
'Let's just say that I have pretty good idea. I think that for the moment, I'll just leave him alone. I don't really mind having a mole as long as I can keep track of what he sees and reports. If he becomes a problem, well, it looks like we have a pretty good candidate for one of Dorothy's pet project at Omega.'  
  
Wufei grimaced at the mention of the blond woman.   
  
'I don't know how you can stand working with that woman. She's vile. And how do you know what's going on at Omega?' Wufei knitted his brows in suspicion, 'didn't she demand a security blanket over her Project? Only the selected members of the Board get reports on what's going on over there.'  
  
Duo grinned and leaned back on his hands. 'Oh, lets just say that I have connections.' He looked at the photo of Heero on his desk, the dark hair falling into the intense blue eyes as he smiled dazzlingly from the crystal frame, and promised, 'It's not over yet, Heero.'  
  
*****  
  
~Owari~  
  
Kat: This is continued in 'Minuet'. (renamed from 'One Year War' ^_^;; remember? I decided to refer to this AU continuation as the Minuet series in the end) Please note that the rating is changing to NC-17 as the next arc will contain dark themes and a lemon part. I got really fascinated by the world that I was making as a backdrop for the triangle and decided to focus on that more in the next series. However, Heero, Duo and Quatre are still continuing their little 'dance' as Heero starts to realise that he had been truly 'in love' with Duo, and that he was still attracted to him.   
  



	4. Behind the scenes (Parody)

Kat: I thought it'd be 'fun' to take a break between 'Triangle' and 'Minuet'. So I came up with this little spoof of what it might have been like if 'Triangle' had been a film... ^_~ I don't know whether I really should post this with 'Triangle since it does seriously break the mood but...   
  
*****  
  
  
'Okay, cut and wrap! That's all folks. Woooo....'   
  
Everyone started to clap as Duo glanced up from his last scene with an impish smile and a wink for his co-star.   
  
Director Katana shooed the remainder of cast and crew off the set, leaving behind the five bishonens who had taken the roles of the infamous Gundam pilots.  
  
*****  
  
Trowa flipped his annoying bang out of his face, almost poking Duo in the eye as he glared at the retreating back of the oblivious director.  
  
'I can't believe she cut all my scenes! I knew that she didn't like me. And what does she mean, they weren't integral to the plot?'  
  
Duo giggled, 'Oh well, it's not too bad. She did promise to give you a role in the sequels. Right? And what about me? I ended up cast as the major villain.' He pouted adorably and tugged forward his heavy braid. 'I'm the most popular Gundam Wing pilot. I should have gotten Heero. Lets face it, no one believes that Heero would dump me for boring old Quatre... ouch! Hey.' He turned indignantly towards the irate blond who had wacked him with the copy of his script.  
  
'Boring am I?' Quatre glared ferociously. 'You ham actor! I'm not surprised that Heero left you. You egomaniac!'  
  
Duo sniffed miserably. 'How could you remind me that Heero left me! You pig! And it was all your fault.' He wailed and buried his head in Trowa's startled chest.  
  
Quatre rolled his eyes. 'Will you stop confusing us with the damned script, you moron! And get off Trowa, remember, he's with me!'  
  
Trowa blanched suddenly and hastily crossed his fingers behind his back. 'I hope that Ryo takes a while longer to change.' He prayed fervently under his breath, hastily pasting a sickly smile on his face when Quatre looked at him with doting eyes.   
  
Meanwhile, across the set...  
  
'Oh Wufei, I can't believe how cool you were in the end scene.' Heero gushed as he gazed on the beautiful profile of his darling Wufei.  
  
Wufei straightened proudly, snapping his head up as he graciously passed his hand to Heero who clutched it to his chest.  
  
'I must say that I really like this director's take on me. I thought that she really captured the proper spirit of honour and justice didn't you? Though I wasn't too pleased that you had to play the paramour of that nincompoop Maxwell and that bimbo Winner. Still, I think that I can talk the director into changing the motivation in the sequel so that we can end up together, as we should have.'  
  
'Wufei. You're wonderful.' Sighed Heero as he leaned in to Wufei's embrace.  
  
Back at the other side...  
  
'I can't believe Heero left me for that pompous twit!' Duo seethed as he glowered at the loving couple.   
  
'Oh be quiet.' Quatre snapped crossly, distracted by the sudden appearance of Ryo, and the way Trowa started to slobber all over that nobody. 'You know that conniving slut only slept with you to get his part. And he's only sucking up to Wufei because he has influence with the new director. In fact, you should know,' Quatre deliberately raised his voice, hoping to get Trowa's attention, 'that he even tried to seduce me, when he found out that my sister was one of the producers of Minuet. Huh!'   
  
Duo started to sob loudly into his handkerchief, drawing the uneasy attention of Ryo as well as Trowa, who sighed in silent frustration. 'How can you be so mean! Oh Heero. My Heero... Waaaaaah....'  
  
Ryo glanced worriedly at the sobbing figure and whispered to Trowa who was trying desperately to avoid Quatre's accusatory glare. 'Are you sure we shouldn't be doing something?'  
  
Trowa shuddered. 'No. Let's just get out of here while we can. Oh shit!' He tried to hide behind his heavy bang, 'Wufei and Heero are coming this way.'  
  
'Maxwell. You are so undignified. Stop this obscene display at once.' Wufei ordered arrogantly, with Heero clinging closely on his arm.   
  
Duo at once jumped to Wufei's side and started to try to drag Heero off by force. 'Heero. Come back to me. I'll rescue you from this awful person.'  
  
Heero protested loudly at this uncouth treatment as Wufei grabbed hold of the other arm and started to tug back.   
  
'Owwww! Let go! Owwwww! Heeeeeey! That hurts!'  
  
'How dare you touch my beloved, you, you peasant! Let him go. At once!' Wufei snarled as he continued to pull Heero towards him.  
  
'No way. You, you justice raving lunatic! You let him go.' Duo pulled at Heero's arm in determination.  
  
'Owww! Somebody let go! Now!' Heero screeched in real pain as he felt himself being torn in two.  
  
'Let him go!'  
  
Both Duo and Wufei suddenly released Heero in shock and turned to face the new speaker. Heero crumpled into the ground, moaning softly and rubbing his sore arms.  
  
Trowa stared with an open mouth as Ryo stepped forward commandingly, his blue eyes flashing with anger.   
  
'Shame on you. He could have been seriously hurt! Neither of you deserve him.' Ryo snapped crossly as he started to help Heero to his feet. Heero turned adoring eyes on the black haired bishonen and smiled sweetly as he snuggled into his arms.  
  
'Thank you, Ryo. Will you help me to my changing room?'  
  
Ryo blinked, dazzled by the luminous eyes that gazed at him with admiration. 'Umm... yeah. Sure. Whatever you say, Mr Yuy.'  
  
'Oh, call me Heero. Please.' Heero giggled softly as he and Ryo started to walk out of the set.  
  
Wufei and Duo looked on with gaping mouths, as Trowa started to trot after the disappearing couple. They stood in silence as Quatre ran after Trowa and started to glomp on to the tall figure, who teetered uneasily as he tried to remove the clutching blond from his arms. Then they looked at each other and at the set and shrugged sadly.   
  
'Looks like we got dumped. Again.' Duo sighed in resignation as he kicked the floor disconsolately.   
  
Wufei glared at him. 'Speak for yourself, Maxwell. This is all your fault.'  
  
'Oh Shut up!' Duo threw his script at the annoying bishonen and stomped off to his own changing room. 'That's the last time I work with that two timing, temperamental, untrustworthy..... actor!'   
  
*****  
  
In Heero's changing room...  
  
'Oh Ryo,' Heero giggled as he leaned forward to sip his glass of champagne. 'You do say the nicest things. Keep talking about my lovely eyes.'  
  
Outside...  
  
Trowa sagged sadly as he peeked through the window, trying all the whilst to free himself of Quatre's death grip. 'But... but... I saw Ryo first...' He blubbered.  
  
'Mine. Mine. Mine.' Quatre muttered firmly as he hung on to Trowa's leg.  
  
*****  
  
Back on the set....  
  
Wufei stood alone, a figure of solitude in the empty set, with hunched shoulders and hands shoved in his pockets.  
  
'So you are still here my dragon?'  
  
Came a deep and sultry voice from the darkness. Wufei started and looked at the handsome man who appeared with enormous dark eyes.  
  
'I thought I might find you here. I guess that things didn't work out with Heero after all.' The caramel haired man came towards him and put his hand on Wufei's shoulder in a comradely fashion. 'I warned you that those high strung types couldn't be trusted. Come on, I'll buy you a drink and you can tell me all about it.'  
  
*****  
  
'Heero left me!' Duo wailed into the pained ears of director Katana who looked ready to throttle the crying bishonen. 'I want him back! Waaaaaaah! Do something!'  
  
Director Katana sighed, the braided baka sure was singled minded when it came to the pilot of Wing Zero.   
  
'Okay, okay. I swear, you'll get to have Heero as your romantic lead in my next pic. That's the best I can do. Take it or leave it.'  
  
Duo looked up with bright eyes, confirming Katana's suspicions that most of the tears had been false. 'I'll take it.' He rubbed his hands gleefully. 'And this time,' he bargained shrewdly, 'no more playing around. It's me and Heero. That's it.'  
  
Katana shrugged, she was getting tired of being pressed by her stupid co-producer Bara-chan as it was. 'Sure. Whatever. In my next pic, you and Heero get to be lovey dovey and I promise, no interference.' She shook her head sadly when Duo bounced to his feet and danced out of her office, his braid swinging heavily behind him. 'Actors.' She muttered crossly.   
  
Then, she glared at the small head that timidly poked his head through the door.  
  
'Umm... excuse me, Director Katana? But Zechs is here to see you, something about not being satisfied with his part in Minuet?'  
  
*****  
  
Kat: Bara-chan is my immoto and a total Duo-freak! ::groans:: She's always nagging me about how I write Duo. Still ^_~ I'm as bad about Heero, if not worse, so...   
  
Onwards to 'Minuet'. And get ready for even more angst for our gorgeous threesome. Poor darlings.   
  
  



End file.
